Copy-and-paste functionality for network reconfiguration

Abstract

A network system includes a reconfigurable network and a network management system. The network management system can represent the network in the form of a network image. Network image objects, corresponding to network objects, can be selected as copy sources and paste targets. A copy-and-paste operation modifies the network image to indicate a potential modification of the actual network in which the configuration of the network object corresponding to the selected copy source object is applied to the network object corresponding to the selected image object. In addition, the copy-and-paste operation can automatically represent a common connection of a source object input and a target object input to a common data source. Furthermore, the copy-and-paste operation can automatically connect outputs of source and target objects to a comparison function so that the implementation of the copy-and-paste operation on the actual network can be validated.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A network system comprising:
 a network having network objects including a source network object and a target network object; 
 a display for displaying
 a source graphical object representing said source network object in a first configuration, 
 a target graphical object representing said target network object in a second configuration, and 
 in response to a user initiated copy-and-paste operation in which said source graphical object is the source for a copy portion of said copy-and-paste operation and in which said target graphical object is the target to which a paste portion of said copy-and-paste operation is applied, displaying said target graphical object so that it represents said target network object in a third configuration resulting from applying said first configuration to said target network object in said second configuration; 
 
 a comparison function, said source network object having a source output, said target network object having a target output, said display, in response to said copy-and-paste operation, representing potential connections between said comparison function and said source output and between said comparison function and said target output; and 
 implementation means for implementing said third configuration on said target network object. 
 
     
     
       2. A network system as recited in  claim 1  wherein said comparison function is configured to detect differences between said source output and said target output. 
     
     
       3. A network system as recited in  claim 1  wherein:
 said source network object has a source input and said target network object has a target input; 
 said display means being configured to, in response to said copy-and-paste operation, represent said source input and said target input potentially having a common data source. 
 
     
     
       4. A network system as recited in  claim 1  wherein said third configuration is the same as said first configuration. 
     
     
       5. A network system as recited in  claim 1  wherein said third configuration is a combination of said first and second configurations. 
     
     
       6. A method of reconfiguring a network having network objects, said method comprising:
 displaying a first graphical image of said network in an actual configuration; 
 in response to a user copy-and-paste operation, displaying a second graphical image corresponding to a potential modification of said network involving, at least in part
 applying a source configuration of a selected source network object of said network to a selected target network object of said network, 
 representing a source input of said source network object and a target input of said target network object potentially having a common data source for receiving common data, and 
 representing a comparison function with inputs respectively coupled to a source output of said source network object and a target output of said target network object; and 
 
 in response to a user command, implementing said modification on said network. 
 
     
     
       7. A method as recited in  claim 6  further comprising: after implementing said modification, comparing outputs of said source network object and said target network object using said comparison function. 
     
     
       8. A method as recited in  claim 7  wherein said comparing is adapted to detect differences between the outputs of said target network object and said source network object. 
     
     
       9. A method as recited in  claim 7  further comprising determining whether or not expected differences between an output of said target network object and said source network object have been realized based on said comparing. 
     
     
       10. A method as recited in  claim 6  wherein said implementing involves applying said source configuration to said target network object. 
     
     
       11. A method as recited in  claim 6  wherein said displaying involves displaying a first potential modification of said network in which said source configuration is applied to said target network object and then displaying a second potential modification in which said configuration of said target network object is further modified from said first potential modification, said implementing involving implementing said second potential modification and not said first potential modification on said network. 
     
     
       12. A method comprising:
 a computer displaying on a display a graphical representation of a network including a source network object having a source configuration and a target network object having a first target configuration, said graphic representation including a source image object representing said source network object in said source configuration and a target image object representing said target network object in said first target configuration; 
 said computer, in response to a selection of said source image object, automatically selecting said target image object; and 
 said computer, in response to a user-initiated copy-and-paste operation, executing said copy-and-paste operation so that said graphical representation represents a potential modification of said network and said target image object represents said target network object in a second target configuration corresponding to or including said source configuration, said potential modification including connecting respective outputs of said source and target network objects to a comparison function. 
 
     
     
       13. A method as recited in  claim 12  wherein said potential modification includes connecting inputs to said source and target network objects to receive common data. 
     
     
       14. A method as recited in  claim 12  further comprising implementation means for implementing said second target configuration on said target network object. 
     
     
       15. A method as recited in  claim 14  further comprising comparing data output from said target network object with data output from said source network object. 
     
     
       16. A method as recited in  claim 15  wherein said comparing detects differences between the outputs of said target network object and said source network object. 
     
     
       17. A method as recited in  claim 15  further comprising determining, based on said comparing, whether expected differences between an output of said target network object and said source network object have been realized.